Sewing Swap Reminder - 2 and a half weeks left!

 

Hello Swappers!

Just a reminder that there are about 2 and a half weeks left of the Summer Sewing Swap, until the end date of Wednesday 18th July. This is the date by which all swapping should be complete, with your partner having received their swap parcel.

About a week after the end date I'll post here so that you can all reply with links to posts on your own blogs to share your goodies.

Hope you are all getting on well with choosing things for your partners. I know that two speedy ladies (IngeMaakt and Sew on Trend) have already completed their swap, and you can have a look on Inge and Tine's blogs to see their swap parcels.

Happy Swapping!


K x

10 Tips for Planning your Sewing

 

After my recent posts reflecting on my sewing and planning what I want to sew next, a few people commented that they weren't good at sticking to plans. Now, I'm certainly not claiming to be any kind of planning guru, but I thought I'd share some of my thoughts about sewing plans.

1. Do you really want to make a plan? 

If you think you aren't going to stick to it, then don't do it! It will only make you feel worse. Like when you over-commit to anything, you won't do it well. At the end of the day, sewing is a hobby and it shouldn't make you feel bad about yourself.

2. Think about what items you need in your wardrobe

OK, so this is an obvious one. Have you got any glaring wardrobe gaps? Me Made Months are great for exposing the items your homemade wardrobe is lacking. Or, have you got any events coming up you want to make something for? A holiday or a wedding? You might want to try and balance 'everyday' and 'special occasion' items in your plan so that you don't find you've spent weeks making things you rarely get to wear.

3. Consider what is currently in your fabric and pattern stash.

I find that making plans makes me use fabrics that might otherwise languish, and gives me a reason to finally try out those patterns I've bought. I must have bought them for some reason, right? I don't feel guilty buying new fabric when I know I'm making room for it by using what I already have. Also, deciding to make something vague like 'a casual dress' will mean you can assess your pattern stash before buying something new - that neglected pattern might fit the bill, with a few tweaks.

4. Think about any new techniques you might want to learn.

This is the time to schedule in learning something new. Maybe you want to take a Craftsy course, or learn some couture techniques. I'm going to tackle sewing with knits as I feel this is a bit of a gap in my skill set.

5. Make it interesting. 

Or you won't stick to it. You might need more work basics but do you REALLY see yourself only sewing plain skirts, trousers and tops for the foreseeable future? Booooooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrinnnnnnnnnnnnnngggggggg. It's ok to buy or thrift some things too, so don't be too hard on yourself. Equally, if you are making things out of stashed fabric that you don't really like anymore, will you be motivated to sew?

6. Allow room for flexibility. 

It's good to know what pattern and/or fabric you'll be using for at least some of your projects but try keeping some aspects vague like 'shorts' or 'a dress for a wedding'. You might want to join in with a sewalong or make use of a gorgeous new fabric you've found, but if you've been super-strict about your plan, it won't cover a little spontaneity.

7. Look at your normal sewing routine to help you plan what is achievable. 

With my Capsule Wardrobe, I looked at the number of items I made in 2011 and saw that I was averaging 2 items per month. On that basis, making 5 or 6 items in 3 months is realistic. Making 10 is not.

8. Do you want to set yourself a time frame?

This doesn't have to be a deadline set in stone (remember - enjoyment is key here!). You might set a time frame of 2 or 3 months for example. No one's going to chase you up about it, but it might be helpful for you to keep on track. I did this for my Capsule Wardrobe but haven't done it more recently as I feel focused on my sewing.

9. Follow your plan!

When you've made the plan, the only one who can achieve it is you. This is when you'll find out how good your plan really is! You might want to post about your progress midway to help keep you on track, and possibly make some changes. I've found the public accountability really spurs me on!

10. Evaluate your plan

At the end of your time, when you've made all your items, or when you've just given up, it's time to evaluate. However when reviewing, don't be too hard on yourself! It's a learning experience AND it's supposed to retain an element of enjoyment. This process will inform what you sew in the future and will give an indication to your real sewing habits.

Looking for more inspiration?

It's always helpful to see what others are up to with their plans, for inspiration. Here are a couple of examples of plans:

Su Sews So-So has been doing a '12 in 2012' project this year. In this, she has listed 12 garments to make plus 12 new sewing skills and 12 new techniques to try this year. I love this idea! It's a clever way to structure things. She has made great progress and has recently reviewed and updated her plan.

Another great way to make a mini plan is to follow the Colette Patterns Seasonal Palette Challenges. You can look in their forum for inspiration.

Do you have any other tips for sewing planning you can share?

K x

Pattern Monday #27

Despite several warnings, Keith continued to wipe his bogies in his wife's recipe books.

Thanks to The Butterfly Balcony for today's pattern.

K x

Last Week's Finds

If there's one thing my Current Husband says about my blog, it's that I don't feature enough of my charity shop finds. I am always, ALWAYS looking in charity shops, but of course quite often leave empty handed. 70% of the time this is due to there being nothing I want to buy, 30% it's because I have been exercising supreme will power.

This week I managed to resist buying a fab Meakin coffee set for £5. I don't drink much coffee so decided to leave it for someone else to enjoy. I hope my altruism means that it will find its perfect home.

Anyway, on to what I did buy:

A T.G. Green gripstand mixing bowl for £2. It's a classic design, and the slanted area at one side of the base means you can comfortably rest it on the table when tipping it up to stir. The 1930's versions of these bowls are very sought after. This one seems to be a more recent version, judging by the marks on the base (can't work out exactly when), but a steal at £2 nonetheless.

My local Salvation Army shop was having an 'Everything for 99p' sale. I picked up two duvets to use for dressmaking muslins. I think I might make a wearable muslin for a dress with the brown patterned one though. In 2 other shops I picked up a book for my holidays (50p) and a crochet throw (£1.49)

I'm in love with this new Hornsea pattern I've discovered - Summertime. I bought this pair of spice jars (I think) for £4.99.

Finally - possibly the best for last. A set of 3 Pountney & Co Bristol Ware storage jars. They were £3.50 each and in perfect condition. I was planning to eBay them since they seem to fetch between £13 and £30 each, but I'm not sure if I can part with them now. Keep or sell?

K x

In Praise of the Cobbler

I feel lucky to have a fantastic local cobbler. He's a 'proper' cobbler, by which I mean that all he does is fixing shoes and leather items - no key cutting or engraving name plates for a high street chain. He has a small workshop, which looks filthy and is a complete tip, but he never fails to do a fantastic job re-heeling my shoes or sewing the strap of a sandal to make it wearable again.

Last week I asked him to fix a bag for me. It is a cheapie faux Cath Kidston Bag, and though I normally prefer leather bags, I loved the colour, size and style (and price!) of it. Of course, the faux leather parts which attach the strap to the side of the bag soon started to tear. I took the bag to my cobbler and asked him to replace those parts with leather. Done! And for only £5, "because it's you". This was about half of the bag's original cost, but well worth it so I can keep using it. Returning it to the shop for a replacement would have only seen exactly the same fault occur.

It definitely pays to use your local services. The traditional cobbler is a great example of someone who can give new life to your beloved shoes and bags. And in our era of throwaway fashion, isn't that fantastic?

K x

Upcoming Sewing

Since some of you kindly commented that you liked hearing about my sewing plans - here's my upcoming list....

1. A maxi dress! After all your input (thank you!) I chose the Style pattern (view 3 with square neckline, to be lengthened) and have cut out the pieces already.

2. A shirt dress. Using this pattern won in Handmade Jane's Giveaway:

I was so chuffed to win this pattern in Jane's giveaway. When she commented that it reminded her of the Lisette Traveller pattern I was sold, as I've wanted to make that pattern for some time (she also hilariously referred to it as 'dinner lady chic', but I think I can make it work!). I'm planning to make view 3, with a fabric yet to be decided. Maybe a chambray.

3. A project to revisit jersey and knits. Last time I tried, I couldn't get into sewing with jersey and blamed my machine. Having seen just too many fab knit projects to list, I'm going to give it another go. I know a few bloggers have written about sewing with knits in the last few months, so I'll be revisiting those posts with interest.

4. Another one seam skirt in a plain fabric, for work. And maybe a denim one.

5. At least one more McCalls blouse. Probably more than one.

6. A casual skirt using this vintage Simplicity pattern

 I love the pocket detail on view 1, the grey one.

And I think that's enough to keep me busy in the meantime!

EDIT - I forgot one!
7. This Simplicity Dress (v.2 with short sleeves and a wide neckline) in Eiffel Tower Fabric. I'll be making a wearable muslin first.

K x

Reflecting

About 2 months ago I posted here with a list of a few thing I was planning to make. So how have I got on? Let's see!

1. Vintage Wrap blouse in Gingham/Check, version with short sleeves.

DONE! But not blogged, since the fit is rubbish. It didn't help that I really didn't understand how the pattern worked from looking at the pattern pieces and I couldn't work out how to lengthen it, even though I was sure it was going to be too short. It was! And the bust is way too big. One day in the future I will probably re-visit this and do it right.

2. A blouse with a peter pan collar based on McCalls 9458

 

DONE! And I made another top using the same pattern. Still refining though - not ready for the Liberty just yet.


3. A cord skirt for weekend wear, using a Vintage Simplicity pattern

DONE! And I made a patterned version too. This was undoubtedly my favourite and most successful make.

4. A casual dress for the weekends 

 Kinda Done - In that I made my 'Emphatically Empire Line' dress, but am a bit 'meh' about it.

5. A shirt dress

This is still to come...

6. A dress for a wedding at the end of May. 

DONE!

All in all, I'm chuffed with my list progress. It really helped to focus my sewing and I even fitted in some additional projects, like PJs for me and for my current husband.

I spent last weekend sewing my Sailor Skirt and have cut out the pieces for a maxi Dress (using the Style pattern - thanks for all the input, commenters!).

Overall Sewing Conclusions
I'm really motivated to sew right now, and have been making one project after another. I've been making good use of my fabric and pattern stashes, which I'm very pleased about. I'm definitely finding a few patterns which I love, and want to refine the patterns for so I can make multiples.

I am also increasingly keen to make practical items I can wear frequently. I'm really happy with my blue and white dress for a wedding, but while making it I felt sad that all my hard work would result in a dress that wouldn't see much wear. Does this mean I am 'maturing' as a seamstress?! Or just realising that it's silly to have a wardrobe of infrequently worn clothes?

I'll also be posting soon with my plan for the next few things I want to make - I have no idea if anyone finds these kind of posts interesting, but I find it so helpful to set out my plans for sewing to keep myself on track. For me, it really works.

K x

My Version of the Picnic Blanket Skirt

OK, there's not really anything picnic blanket-y about my version of Tilly's skirt. I was going to call it my 'Saucy Sailor' skirt, but there isn't anything remotely saucy about a knee length skirt either, so 'Sailor Skirt' it is. I made this last weekend and have already worn in twice.

Here's my project review:

Pattern Used

Tilly's Picnic Blanket Skirt

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?

I thought it was a great classic pattern for a type of skirt I knew would suit me, and I would get a lot of use from. Although the mathematics you need to calculate the size of the pattern pieces might look daunting, they really aren't, and it's interesting to see the calculations that go behind making the pattern work. You'll need to work out the size of the pieces before going fabric shopping, but I ended up buying 2.3 metres (as Tilly did) and this was a good amount for me.

Of course, the skirt is customisable, so you'd be able to use less fabric if you made it less gathered.

Fabric & Notions 

Kitschy striped anchor print cotton and red buttons from Remnant Kings. I'd spotted this fabric a couple of weeks ago and when Tilly blogged about the pattern, I knew that this skirt was the perfect project for it. A dress made from this fabric would have felt too much like a costume (for my tastes!), but a skirt was perfect. This would be the ideal skirt to wear to a Jubilee River Pageant - shame I'm a bit late!

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made

Tilly's pattern is a set of instructions which can be customised to suit, but I didn't do much different apart from make a wider waistband (2" instead of 1.5"). Her recommended gathering amount of 2.1 was spot on for me (this might not make sense till you've read the pattern!).

Would you sew it again and do anything different next time?

I'd definitely make it again. Next time I would make the pockets a little higher up, probably just below the waistband.

Did you use any new techniques?

Yes! I used mock French seams. I didn't need to, but decided to try the technique out.

Would you recommend it to others?

Definitely

Cost

£21

Conclusion

I'm really happy with my new skirt, and only wish I'd taken a photo of me twirling in it!

 

K x

p.s I've linked this posted into Ta Dah! Tuesday, hosted by Faith, Hope and Charity Shopping.

Keep it Simple or Go for Broke?

So, I'm going to make a maxi dress for my holiday later this year. This is fabric I'm going to use:

 

I bought it at Goldhawk Road last year and have a rather astounding 4.8 metres worth (it was the end of the roll and I got some kind of deal).

Once I'd washed it, and all the 'dressing' had come out (or whatever they call that artificial stiffener you get in some fabrics) I was left with quite a light cotton. I think the design and weight would make it work for a maxi dress, especially as I have so blimmin' much of it, and don't want to feel compelled to recycle it for endless garments.

So, what pattern to use?

I would like to use one from my stash, extended to maxi length. I've narrowed it down to two possibles:

Maudella 5862 (sleeveless view) and Style 2667 (striped view with squared neckline)

The reason for my choice is that I need something I can add a belt too, as I suit belted styles much better.

I really like the simplicity of the Maudella, and would probably lower the scooped neckline slightly and narrow the should straps a little.

I think the Style pattern would be flattering and work well as a maxi, plus it is designed to be worn with a belt. I've had the pattern for some time, and you may remember that last year, Karen made a version, and had a very trying time with it . You can read about it here. Her finished dress is lovely though, and it's good to have a warning that I'll definitely need to make a toile.

I think, what I'm REALLY asking is, should I wimp out and make the Maudella? Or 'man up' and make the Style?

K x

Pattern Monday #26 The Return of the Witches of Eastwick

So, you may remember the appearance of these ladies in Pattern Monday back in January this year:

Don't they just remind you of The Witches of Eastwick?

 Image source

Now, can you imagine how delighted I was to find this in a charity shop:

It's the next pattern in the series! Bet you didn't think that hair could get any bigger, eh? Such is their devotion to one-colour dressing that they are even wearing grey tights.

Bravo ladies. Seriously, Bravo.

K x

Finished: Jubilee Blouse

 

This is a top I sewed up over the Jubilee bank holiday weekend. I used McCalls 9458, which I used for my Claire blouse, and an off cut of cotton shirting from a shirt dress I made last year.

I only had 60cm of the fabric but as it was extra wide, I was able to fit the pieces on horizontally and have a horizontally striped top. I made bias tape for the neckline and armholes, and really like the contrast of the stripe directions.

This was intended as a quick and cheap project to use up stash fabric and to test the pattern again before I break out the Liberty Tana Lawn. It ticked the boxes for 'quick and cheap' but like an idiot, I didn't make the one change I wanted to test out, which was to shorten the bust darts by 1.5". Although I had drawn the alteration on my pattern piece, I still managed to use the marks from last time by mistake. Garrrrhhhhh....

I also think I might need to adjust for a narrow upper chest, as the centre front above the bust is a bit loose and gape-y at the centre front. Can you have a narrow upper chest and wide shoulders? I think I do.

Sorry for the rubbish photos, it was a dull early evening after a rainy day, which also explains my unruly hair.

K x

Summer Sewing Swap Partners Announced!

The Summer Sewing Swap is officially GO! Below you will find a list of all the swap partners.


Once you have found out who your partner is, it's up to you to contact them via email or blog comment to say hello and get their postal address. You can of course look at their blog to see what they might like, but you might also want to message them to ask a few questions if you'd like a bit more guidance for what to include in your swap package.

As this works on trust, it's all up to you swappers to ensure the swap goes smoothly, but do let me know by email if you are having a problem getting in touch with your partner or if you have any questions.

Swap Deadline

The deadline for the swap to be completed, with packages received by your partner is Wednesday 18th July, 6 weeks from today.

Swap Structure

Here's a reminder of the swap structure that I posted before:

• You need to be an active blogger to take part, and so that your swap partner can stalk your blog to see what you like. You should have updated your blog in the last month and be interested in sewing (of course!).
• You will spend up to a maximum of £15 (or local equivalent - that's US$24.11 according to xe.com) purchasing sewing-related items to send to your partner. These can be new/vintage/thrifted, whatever.
• The items may include fabric, patterns, trims, buttons or similar but use your imagination to  choose what you think your partner might like. Although the swap is centred around sewing, you could include other crafty items if your partner is into different crafts too.
• You should send a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 5 items (you don't have to count buttons or other notions individually though, just use your initiative here!)
• The maximum spend amount doesn't include postage. I think it would be nice to make the swap as international as possible so that participants are sending parcels internationally, but please state if you would prefer a partner from the same country and I will try to match that.
•  I thought it would be fun if one of your swap items is something that is from where you live, just to add a bit of local colour :-) Interpret that rather vague direction as you wish!

When can I post about what I've received?

You can post about your received package on your blog whenever you like, and I will do a round-up post a week after the swap deadline so that everyone can post links to their own blog posts (Wow, there are a lot of 'posts' in that sentence!). Then we can all be nosey and see what everyone received.

Blog Button

If you're taking part, you might like to add the 'button' to your blog. You can save the image above to your computer, and then add it to the sidebar of your blog as an image and link it to here:

http://kestrelfindsandmakes.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Summer%20Sewing%20Swap

Partner List

Debi of My Happy Sewing Place AND Sue of Sewin' Steady

Helen's Sewing Adventures AND Hazel of Disaster in a Dress 

StephC of 3 Hours Past The Edge of the World  AND Tilly of Tilly and the Buttons

Gingermakes AND Lladybird

Kylie of Lucy Violet Vintage AND Miss P

The Craftytraveller AND Prttynpnk of Pretty Grievances

Cation Designs AND Jane of Handmade Jane

Shivani of Pins and Needles AND Mika of Savory Stitches

Suzie of Su Sews So-So AND Dibs and the Machine

Annabelle of Annabellebumps AND Roisin of Dolly Clackett

Lenora Jane of The Big Dipper Said  AND Kerry of Kestrel Finds and Makes 

Valerie of Sew Cranky AND Mumasu of Mumasu's Moments

Marie of A Sewing Odyssey AND Katie of The Little Red Squirrel

House of Pinheiro AND Chic Envelopments

Tina of Down the Retro Rabbithole AND Melizza of Pincushion Treats

shawntasews AND Sigrid of Analog Me

Leah Franqui of Struggle Sews a Straight Seam AND Stitch and Witter

Sew Eclectic AND Yvette Friendship of Sew Today Wear Tomorrow

Twisted Yarns of The Very Best Jumper AND Red Silvia of Sil's Fab Knit Blog

ingemaakt AND Sew on Trend

Sian Lile of Sian Lile Makes AND MrsC of The Hectic Eclectic

I'm so excited to be hosting the swap, and hope you'll all enjoy picking things for your partner, and maybe finding out about some new blogs along the way too.

Ladies, Let the swapping commence!

K x

It's an EMPIRE LINE Dress, OK?

  Definitely the best picture of me in this dress, as you'll see...

I'm calling this dress the 'Emphatically Empire Line Dress'. After I sewed together the bodice and skirt, I felt that it looked very 'maternity', as I had feared. My antidote to this was to add a bright pink ribbon along the bustline, to emphasise the shape of the dress. As it is such a busy pattern, the shape of the dress is a bit hard to see, so I think this really helped. Perhaps I'm being paranoid as I'm not used to wearing empire line dresses. What do you think of empire line?

After all the lovely enthusiasm and kind comments in this post, I hope no one's disappointed with how I got on making the dress!

Here's my review:

Pattern Used

Style 2241 from 1978. I made View 2, with short sleeves

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?

I liked that it had pockets and looked quite casual and liked the sleeve options, particularly as I'm rubbish at doing set in sleeves.

Fabric & Notions

I used a neon floral printed crepe from Mandors, with a last minute addition of a bright pink ribbon below the bustline, when I realised that the dress needed a focal point. The crepe was a bit stretchier than I expected, so I ended up taking in the bodice more than I thought I'd need to.

 

 This is the ribbon that saved the dress - kind of

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made

No changes, the hem is a little shorter than suggested as I felt it was more flattering above the knee. 

Would you sew it again and do anything different next time?

I'm divided - I wanted to use view 1 to make a maxi versions but now I'm not sure how flattering it would be. I might do it, but try and redesign the skirt pieces so there's no gathering - but then it might not sit properly. Hmmm. Any advice?!

Did you use any new techniques?

Nope.

Would you recommend it to others?

With caution. It WOULD be a good maternity dress. 

Yeeeeeeeees, not very flattering from the side is it? Also, don't know what I'm looking at.

Cost

Including fabric (3 metres at £1 per metre!), pattern, zip, thread and ribbon, about £14

Conclusion
This project made use of a pattern and fabric I'd had in my stash for a while, which is good. It's quite a sweet, breezy dress for summer and I can see myself wearing it on holiday or maybe at home, if it's particularly hot.

 Again, a bit unflattering with hands in pockets. Hey, it's good to be honest, right?

K x

A Dress for a Wedding, and MMM finishes with a whimper

My goodness, my Me Made May really tailed off halfway through the month! I stopped taking daily photos, I think because I felt really grumpy that I was wearing the same stuff all the time, and wasn't very excited to share my outfits with the world. I did wear me-made every day except one, when I wanted to wear a nice dress because the weather was so lovely and sunny.

On the plus side, I am getting much better at getting a decent photo without having to take 500 million pictures, AND I feel really motivated to sew. So that's all good.

I do have pictures to share, of the dress I made to wear to a wedding last weekend:

 Look how sunny it is! In Scotland! I have included the photo on the left so you can see the man in the kilt, for those of you who might be interested. My outfit details are:

Dress: Me Made
Shoes: £50 Schuh, bought 2 years ago for my own wedding
Raffia Clutch Bag: Free - From a friend's clothes clear out, it used to belong to her stylish Gran
Belt: From an M&S dress
Silver and crystal necklace: 21st birthday present
Sunglasses: Chopard, £10 from TK Maxx sale

 

This is where the wedding was, and also where we were staying

Here's a quick run down on the dress:

Pattern

 

Bodice of Simplicity of 3426 with the skirt of Woman W412 (the Simplicity skirt used more fabric than I had)

Fabric 

I used a cotton silk, underlined with white cotton. This gave the dress a really nice weight

How was it to make?

Easy, had to make a few fitting changes on the bodice but it was generally straightforward. I did a lot of it within a day - you can read about that here. It made me feel a little sad that I won't have the opportunity to wear it more often, since it's so pretty and I spent a lot of time on it. But that has made me more determined to make more things I can wear on an everyday basis.

Cost

About £30 including fabric, underlining and pattern(s). Not bad for a beautifully lined dress!

End result?

Very happy, but it would benefit from being worn with a petticoat. I know I have the ability to make one, but am evaluating whether I can be bothered to make one or not. Watch this space!

K x